1.
U2
–
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, initially rooted in post-punk, U2s sound grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music, yet has maintained an anthemic sound. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes, popular for their live performances, the group has staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career. The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency, within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album Boy. Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album War, by the mid-1980s, they had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985. The groups fifth album, The Joshua Tree, made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success. Topping music charts around the world, it produced their only number-one singles in the US, With or Without You, facing a backlash and creative stagnation, U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image. This experimentation continued through their album, Pop, and the PopMart Tour. U2 regained critical and commercial favour with the records All That You Cant Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and their U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011 is the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history. The groups thirteenth album, Songs of Innocence, was released at no cost through the iTunes Store, U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the worlds best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 170 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The band formed in Dublin on 25 September 1976, Larry Mullen Jr. then a 14-year-old student at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, posted a note on the schools notice board in search of musicians for a new band—six people responded. Mullen later described it as The Larry Mullen Band for about ten minutes, then Bono walked in and blew any chance I had of being in charge. Martin, who had brought his guitar and amplifier to the first practice but could not play, did not remain with the group, the group settled on the name Feedback because it was one of the few technical terms they knew. Most of their material consisted of cover songs, which the band admitted was not their forte. Some of the earliest influences on the band were emerging punk rock acts, such as the Jam, the Clash, Buzzcocks, the popularity of punk rock convinced the group that musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to being successful. In April 1977, Feedback played their first gig for an audience at St. Fintans High School. Shortly after, the changed their name to The Hype

2.
U2 discography
–
The discography of the Irish rock band U2 consists of thirteen studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums, sixty-seven singles, and eight extended plays. The band consists of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, the bands eight No.1 singles on the US Modern Rock charts places them fifth all-time. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 2005, U2 have sold more than 170 million records. General U2, The Ultimate Compendium of Interviews, Articles, Facts, specific Official website U2 discography, forum, and marketplace at Discogs

3.
Another Day (U2 song)
–
Another Day is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was commercially released as a single in February 1980 by CBS Ireland as a follow-up to their first release, Another Day was recorded by U2 at CBS Studios in London at No. 31-37 Whitfield Street, W1, in December 1979 during a mini-tour of the Capital city and it was produced by the CBS talent scout Chas de Whalley. The single was released on 26 February 1980 exclusively in Ireland in a small scale pressing, in 2008, the song was included in the deluxe editions of the reissue of Boy. The song is known to have played at six concerts. Its last known performance was on 27 July 1980 at Leixlip Castle, discography entry at U2songs. com – Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more. Another Days performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour. com – Lists all concerts at which Another Day is known to have been performed, twilights performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour. com – Lists all concerts at which Twilight is known to have been performed

4.
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
–
11 OClock Tick Tock was U2s second single, released 16 May 1980. It followed their debut EP Three and the single Another Day and it was released prior to their debut album, Boy. The band first met Hannett while he was producing Joy Divisions Love Will Tear Us Apart,11 OClock Tick Tock debuted live in August 1979 with alternate lyrics. The song was known by the title Silver Lining. It evolved into 11 OClock Tick Tock between March and May 1980, Touch, the B-side of the 11 OClock Tick Tock single, evolved from an earlier song called Trevor. Touch was played on the Boy Tour in 1980-1981, but has not been performed on any subsequent tours, Three mixes of 11 OClock Tick Tock exist, all studio cuts. The 1980 single features the 3,47 single mix, the Martin Hannett tribute album And Here Is the Young Man features a 4,03 mix. The final mix is a 4,13 version with an intro that featured on the 1984 UK Pride 12-inch limited edition single. On U2s very early tours, it was played twice due to a lack of material - once early in the concert. Until December 1982, it was paired with The Ocean. This live pairing is available on the Fire single, after the Unforgettable Fire Tour concluded in July 1985,11 OClock Tick Tock has been played thirteen times, including seven performances on 2001s Elevation Tour. The frequency of its early performances means that it is one of U2s twenty most-performed live songs. 11 OClock Tick Tocks performance history at U2gigs. com – Lists all concerts at which 11 OClock Tick Tock is known to have been performed, Silver Linings performance history at U2gigs. com – Lists all concerts at which Silver Lining is known to have been performed. Touchs performance history at U2gigs. com – Lists all concerts at which Touch is known to have been performed, trevors performance history at U2gigs. com – Lists all concerts at which Trevor is known to have been performed. Discography entry at U2 Wanderer—Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more

5.
A Day Without Me
–
A Day Without Me is a song by Irish rock band U2, and was released as the lead single from their debut album, Boy, in August 1980. It was the single the band recorded after signing their contract with Island Records. The single release was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was the first time that he recorded with U2, the B-side is an instrumental song called Things to Make and Do. The image on the cover, photographed by Susan Byrne, is of a footbridge at Booterstown railway station in South Dublin. A Day Without Me was played live during the first half of the 1980s, on the Boy Tour, it did not have a firmly defined set list position, initially appearing in the main set before moving to the encore. It did not appear on the October Tour until November 1981, when it was paired with I Threw a Brick Through a Window, a song from the newly released October album. The two songs were linked by a drum segue leading from the end of I Threw A Brick Through A Window into A Day Without Me, since then, neither song has been played live, although A Day Without Me has been snippeted on rare occasions. A live performance of the song from Red Rocks Amphitheatre appears on the concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks, Under a Blood Red Sky. Things to Make and Do was the only ever played live by U2 until the U2 360° Tour. It has only played once since the end of that tour. A Day Without Me Lyrics from U2. com Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

6.
I Will Follow
–
I Will Follow is a song by rock band U2. It is the track from their debut album, Boy. Lead singer Bono wrote the lyrics to I Will Follow in tribute to his mother who died when he was 14 years old, I Will Follow is the only song that U2 have performed on every tour since they released their first album. The song was U2s first music video, directed by Meiert Avis in Dublin, I Will Follow was written three weeks before U2 began recording Boy. U2 singer Bono has said that he wrote the song from his mothers perspective and his mother died following her own fathers funeral when Bono was fourteen, which the singer says plunged him into emotional turmoil for the next few years. In the recording of the song for the Boy album, its producer Steve Lillywhite plays a glockenspiel, edge has acknowledged John McGeogh as an influence on his early sound, the guitar line on this tune evokes comparison to Magazines Because Youre Frightened. I Will Follow had a single release as a live version in the Netherlands and Germany in 1982. It appeared on both the album and video collection The Best of 1980-1990, and in some countries. The song is included in the 2015 music video game Rock Band 4 as a playable track and it is the bands most frequently performed song with over 800 performances. It also appears on Vertigo 05, Live from Milan, the bonus DVD that is included with the U218 Singles compilation, U2 performed the song on the BBC2 television show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1981. The performance was released on DVD on a compilation of performances from the show. In 2005, Blender ranked the song at number 214 on its list The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born, the magazine wrote, The first song on U2s first album introduced the guitar sound that would define their work. The arena-ready clarion call also established Bonos trademark lyrical earnestness, one of the reasons the song remains a fan favorite, note The Netherlands release was recorded for the Veronica TV concert series Countdown, and was reissued in Germany in 1983. The cover of the Canadian and U. S. releases feature the image as the North American release of Boy. The 1983 release was in a red sleeve with no cover artwork

7.
Fire (U2 song)
–
Fire is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track on the bands 1981 album, October. The October album version of Fire was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas while U2 took a break from the Boy Tour in April 1981. After its initial release, Fire was U2s first song to chart in the UK, some vinyl and cassette versions of U2s debut album Boy included a 30-second instrumental hidden track after the albums closer, Shadows and Tall Trees. This track featured the guitar riff as the one from Fire. Saturday Night was eventually rewritten into what became Fire, Fire was played in concert for the first time on 27 May 1981 a month after the album version was recorded. It was the second of two songs from the October album played on the Boy Tour with the first being I Fall Down. Fire was a set list regular for much of the October Tour and it then appeared on the War Tours Pre-Tour, and its last live performance was at the first proper date of the War Tour on 26 February 1983. Most of its appearances were in the encore, often as the first encore song. Fire was also the song U2 played for their first appearance on Top of the Pops, the July 1981 single release of came in three versions – a two-track 7, a double 7 pack, and a 12 single titled U2 R. O. K. A pun on the rock and on the phrase U2 are OK. A fourth version was released ten years later on CD in 1991, the song was later included as a b-side on the Japanese version of the A Celebration single in 1982, and as a live version on several versions of the New Years Day single in 1983. The single was not released in North America, Fire Single Discography Entry at U2songs. com Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

8.
Gloria (U2 song)
–
Gloria is a song by rock band U2. It is the track and second single from the bands 1981 album. It features a chorus sung in Latin, from the liturgical Gloria in Excelsis Deo and it was one of their lowest-charting singles on the UK singles chart, peaking at #55 but was more successful in Ireland and New Zealand, reaching the Top 20. Allmusic cited the song as an example of when U2 marry the message, melody, the results are thoroughly impressive, while Pitchfork said the song displays some musical dynamism, but its Latin-language chorus tempers its anthemic qualities. Gloria highlights bassist Adam Clayton as it features three styles of playing in one song, the chorus Gloria in te Domine / Gloria exultate translates to Glory in You, Lord / Glory, exalt with exalt in the imperative mood, a reference to Psalm 30,2. The song also references to Colossians 2, 9-10 and James 5. The song also references Van Morrisons 1964 love song Gloria, Bono is quoted in the 1994 book Race of Angels, I actually really like that lyric. I think it expresses the thing of language again, this thing of speaking in tongues, I try to stand up but I cant find my feet. And taking this Latin thing, this hymn thing and its so outrageous at the end going to the full Latin whack. Its so wonderfully mad and epic and operatic, and of course Gloria is about a woman in the Van Morrison sense. Being an Irish band, youre conscious of that, because before that there had been a line. That you can sing to God, but it might be a woman. Now, you can pretend its about God, but not a woman, Gloria has been played in concert more than 370 times. It was debuted on the October Tour prior to the release of the album and it was played on every tour up to and including the Lovetown Tour, after which it was not played for fifteen years until the Vertigo Tour where it made several appearances. It was once again revived on U2s 2015 Innocence + Experience Tour where it was played second in the set list and it often rotated with other early U2 hits such as The Electric Co. and Out of Control. Live recordings of the song appear on Under a Blood Red Sky, a live version from the Hammersmith Palais is also available on the October CD. The Gloria video, written and directed by Meiert Avis, was filmed in October 1981 on a barge in Grand Canal Basin in Dublin near Windmill Lane, Gloria was the first U2 music video that received heavy airplay on MTV. The video featured U2 playing on a barge while a crowd of onlookers danced, neither the song nor the video has been included in any of the bands compilations

9.
A Celebration
–
A Celebration is a song by rock band U2. It was released as a single in March 1982, between the records October and War. U2 have re-released the track on two occasions, on the 2004 digital compilation album The Complete U2, and on the disc of the remastered October in 2008. Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl, commonly shortened to Party Girl, was released as the B-side. According to Universal Music Publishing Groups sheet music published at Musicnotes. com, the vocals extend from a low note of A4 to a high of B5. The singer explained that all I was saying was that the realities of the bomb must be faced, a Celebration made its live debut in late February 1982 and sporadically appeared at concerts throughout that year until it became a regular of the Pre-War Tour during the month of December. It then appeared at some dates of the War Tour in February. Its last live appearance was on November 30,1983 in Tokyo, the track was absent from any of the groups compilations until The Complete U2 in 2004. Nevertheless, the band did film and release a video for the song, most of which was shot in and this video has not been included in any video compilation released by the band. The video was directed by Meiert Avis, a Celebration was available as part of The Complete U2, and the remastered release of October in 2008. Its appearance on the latter was its first appearance on a U2 Compact Disc, Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl, commonly known as Party Girl, was the B-side to A Celebration. According to Universal Music Publishing Groups sheet music published at Musicnotes. com, the vocals extend from a low note of A4 to a high of E6. In contrast to the A-side, after its debut on February 26,1983 at the first War Tour concert. This happened despite the fact that after the performance, Bono stated that is the first. It continued to be a regular for the couple of tours and has appeared sporadically at U2 concerts since then. Only one non-album song has played more times, the 1980 single 11 OClock Tick Tock. On numerous occasions in the live history, U2 have invited fans on-stage to perform the song by playing the acoustic guitar part. Despite the bands apparent dislike of the song, a video for it was filmed at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. said of the music video in 1983, We did a video of it

10.
Veronica (media)
–
Veronica began its life as an offshore radio station, Radio Veronica, on 17 May 1960. The name comes from its first name VRON, though Veronicas appeal and power have dissipated, most of the Dutch commercial radio and television landscape has been formed by Veronica and its spin-offs. The Association resulted from a radio station, Radio Veronica. The wave appearing in the logo back to that time. The name Veronica is a derivation of the abbreviation VRON and it finally got a licence on 28 December 1975. The first television broadcast of Veronica was on 21 April 1976, within a decade it became one of the largest public broadcasters and the trademark was tested as being more popular than Coca-Cola. The name was changed to Barts Neverending Network after Bart de Graaffs death at age 35 from kidney failure caused by a rejection of a kidney transplant he received in 1999. Conflicts let to the dissolution of this co-operation in Spring of 2001, RTL rebranded Veronica by Yorin which would finally be rebranded by RTL7 In 2002-2003 the Veronica Association learned the hard way that it could not realise radio and TV in a stand-alone setting. However, the negotiations between the Veronica Association and SBS Broadcasting were not going as planned and no agreement could be set, in the course of 2002 Veronica cooperated with MTV Networks Benelux and started time-sharing with MTVs Kindernet. At the end of 2002 the Association is even talking with HMG again, eventually Veronica Association closed a deal with SBS, and V8 was rebranded as Veronica on 20 September 2003

11.
Countdown (Dutch TV series)
–
The Dutch music show Countdown was a popular music show from 1978 to the early 1990s, broadcast by the broadcasting system Veronica. It ranked as the top show in the whole of Europe. Due to the popularity this show, the career of one of its hosts throughout the period, Adam Curry. Other hosts included Simone Walraven, Jasper Faber, Erik de Zwart, a special English-language edition of Countdown was produced for pan-European music channel Music Box in 1987, with presenters Adam Curry and Erik de Zwart

12.
Two Hearts Beat as One
–
Two Hearts Beat as One is a song by rock band U2. It is the track on their 1983 album, War. Two Hearts Beat as One features a bassline by Adam Clayton and achieved moderate success as a single in the UK. Unlike the other videos from the album, it has never included on any of the bands video compilations. It was released as the second single in the US, UK and Australia, as opposed to Sunday Bloody Sunday. Both singles were released in Japan, the song was first played in concert on 26 February 1983, at the first show of the War Tour and was played at almost all concerts on that tour. On the second leg of the War Tour, Two Hearts Beat as One began to follow Surrender and this transition survived to the Unforgettable Fire Tour. However, on the leg of the Unforgettable Fire Tour, Two Hearts Beat as One was separated from Surrender. Its last tour appearance on 29 April 1985, in Atlanta and it made a further subsequent appearance when it was performed as part of the encore at a Lovetown Tour concert on 27 December 1989, in the Point Depot, Dublin. The song was not played again for 25 years until a New York concert during the Innocence + Experience Tour. A live performance of the song at Red Rocks Amphitheatre appears on the DVD release of the concert film Live at Red Rocks, list of covers of U2 songs – Two Hearts Beat as One Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

13.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
–
Sunday Bloody Sunday is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their 1983 album War and was released as the albums third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany. Sunday Bloody Sunday is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, along with New Years Day, the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience. It was generally received by critics on the albums release. The song has remained a staple of U2s live concerts, during its earliest performances, the song created controversy. Lead singer Bono reasserted the songs message to his audience for many years. Today, it is considered one of U2s signature songs, and is one of the bands most performed tracks, critics rate it among the best political protest songs, and it has been covered by over a dozen artists. It was named the 272nd-greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Sunday Bloody Sunday grew from a guitar riff and lyric written by the Edge in 1982. While newlyweds Bono and Ali Hewson honeymooned in Jamaica, the Edge worked in Ireland on music for the upcoming album. Following an argument with his girlfriend, and a period of doubt in his own song-writing abilities, channelled fear and frustration and self-loathing into a piece of music. This early draft did not yet have a title or chorus melody, after Bono had reworked the lyrics, the band recorded the song at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. During the sessions, producer Steve Lillywhite encouraged drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. to use a click track, a chance meeting with Andy Newmark – a drummer who used a click track religiously – changed Mullens mind. The opening drum pattern soon developed into the songs hook, a local violinist, Steve Wickham, approached the Edge one morning at a bus stop and asked if U2 had any need for a violin on their next album. In the studio for half a day, Wickhams electric violin became the final instrumental contribution to the song. The direct impetus for the lyrics was an encounter with IRA supporters in New York City, as a promotional gimmick, U2 manager Paul McGuinness had made arrangements for the band to appear in the 1982 St. Patricks Day parade. However, he found that there was a possibility that Bobby Sands. As they felt that the IRAs tactics were prolonging the fighting in Northern Ireland, McGuinness, McGuinness met with one of the parades organizers in a New York bar to arrange the cancellation, and ended up in a heated debate about the IRA. McGuinness recalled, He kept telling me to keep my voice down, the place was full of New York policemen - Irish cops - and he thought I was going to get us killed

14.
Under a Blood Red Sky
–
Under a Blood Red Sky is a live album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released in 1983. Along with its companion film, U2 Live at Red Rocks, Under a Blood Red Sky. The album consists of recordings from three shows on the bands War Tour, from Colorado and Boston in the US and from Germany. An accompanying concert video entitled U2 Live at Red Rocks, Under a Blood Red Sky was released the following year, unlike the album, the film was recorded entirely at the outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 1983. The bands performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday from the film has been cited as one of Rolling Stones 50 Moments that Changed the History of Rock, the title is taken from the lyrics of the song New Years Day, originally released on U2s War album. The album was re-released on 29 September 2008 as a remastered CD with a DVD of the Red Rocks concert, all tracks written by U2, with lyrics by Bono. Notes During the performance of The Electric Co, Bono included a 27-second snippet of Stephen Sondheims Send in the Clowns. When Under a Blood Red Sky was released, U2 failed to get permission and pay the appropriate licensing and royalty fees to include that piece of Sondheims tune on the album. When Sondheim objected, U2 agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty for the unauthorized use and to press all future releases with a new version that did not include the snippet. Essentially, there are now two versions of the album, the original with the full The Electric Co. running 5,18. However, the various CDs pressed around the world all vary in the versions of the song that are included, the trifold digipack CD pressed in the U. S. correctly lists The Electric Co. at 4,51 and contains the edited version of the song. Later U. S. CD pressings in the jewel box format incorrectly list The Electric Co. at 5,18. Some, and perhaps all, European pressings of the CD correctly list The Electric Co. at 5,18 and have the version of the song. An Australian pressing of the CD lists the track at 4,57, the remastered editions all contain the edited version of the song

15.
Pride (In the Name of Love)
–
Pride is a song by Irish rock band U2. The second track on the bands 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, it was released as the albums lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King, Jr. the song received mixed reviews at the time. Pride appeared on the compilation The Best of 1980-1990 as the opening track, the song ranked number 388 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The melody and the chords were worked up in a November 1983 War Tour sound check in Hawaii, the guitar part is subtly varied through each verse, chorus, and melody, such that no riff is exactly repeated. The song had been intended to be based on Ronald Reagans pride in Americas military power, in subsequent years, Bono has expressed his dissatisfaction with the lyrics, which he describes, along with another Unforgettable Fire song Bad, as being left as simple sketches. In U2 by U2, Bono said, I looked at how glorious that song was and thought and its just a load of vowel sounds ganging up on a great man. It is emotionally very articulate - if you didnt speak English, the song contains the erroneous reference to Kings shooting as Early morning, April 4, when it actually occurred after 6 p. m. Bono acknowledges the error and in live performances he occasionally changes the lyric to Early evening, chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders sang backing vocals on the recording. She was married to Jim Kerr of Simple Minds at the time, Pride is in the key of B. The song follows a progression of B-E–A–F♯m and the solo is B–D–E–E. Pride reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart and #8 on the Dutch Singles Chart, the song was the bands first top 40 hit in the United States where it peaked at #33. It gained considerable US album-oriented rock radio airplay and its video was on rotation on MTV. It reached #1 in New Zealand, the first time a U2 single topped a countrys singles chart, initial critical reactions to Pride were mixed, especially in regards to the lyrics. Robert Christgau in The Village Voice complained of the moralism with the glorification of Martin Luther Kings martyrdom. Meanwhile, Kurt Loder of Rolling Stone wrote that Pride gets over only on the strength of its resounding beat and big, droning bass line, not on the nobility of its lyrics, which are unremarkable. But the 1984 Pazz & Jop poll of 240 music critics ranked Pride as the 12th best single of year, a higher ranking than the overall album. The singles ranking remained the highest of any U2 single until One achieved 8th in 1992, and in 1989, Spin named the song the 65th-greatest single in history

16.
The Unforgettable Fire (song)
–
The Unforgettable Fire is a song by rock band U2. The fourth song on their 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire, it was released as the second single in April 1985. The band cite an art exhibition by victims of the bombings of Hiroshima. It became the bands third Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart and #8 on the Dutch singles chart, but it had yet to break them into the United States. The song, like tracks from The Unforgettable Fire, is an atmospheric composition, with ambient use of guitar. The Unforgettable Fire was first played live at the show of the Unforgettable Fire Tour on 2 September 1984 in the New Zealand city of Auckland. It was subsequently played at almost all Unforgettable Fire Tour shows and it was played at the majority of The Joshua Tree Tour shows and the song appeared regularly during 1989s Lovetown Tour, during which its last performance for nearly 20 years was on 6 January 1990. The song returned to the concert repertoire on the opening night of the 2009 U2 360° Tour. A shaped picture disc was issued with the IS220 release, the 12 Canadian release contained a false start at the beginning of Love Comes Tumbling. A Sort of Homecoming and Love Comes Tumbling on the 12 Australian release were different versions from any other release, list of covers of U2 songs - The Unforgettable Fire Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

17.
With or Without You
–
With or Without You is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree. With or Without You features sustained guitar parts played by guitarist the Edge with a prototype of the Infinite Guitar, along with vocals by lead singer Bono, the song originated from a demo recorded in late 1985 that the group continued to work on throughout The Joshua Tree sessions. Ostensibly a troubled love song, the lyrics were inspired by Bonos conflicting feelings about the lives he led as a musician. Critics praised the song upon its release and it is frequently performed on the bands tours, and it has appeared on many of their compilation albums and concert films. With or Without You is U2s second most frequently covered song, in 2010, Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 132 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In late 1985, U2 convened at a house that drummer Larry Mullen, during this time, a rough demo of With or Without You was written, with lead vocalist Bono composing the songs chord sequence. The band continued to work on the song at STS Studios, creating many permutations of the track, guitarist The Edge considered the song at that point to be awful. The track consisted of a Yamaha drum machine beat and a part played by bassist Adam Clayton using an Ibanez bass guitar with a short scale. According to Clayton, these versions of the song sounded too sentimental. The sessions for The Joshua Tree started in earnest in 1986, the group attempted to take the song in a different direction, although Bono was reluctant. Despite the work continued to put into the track, the group considered abandoning the song. Bono and his friend Gavin Friday continued to work on the song after Lanois, Bono credits Friday with rescuing the song and rearranging it, believing it could be a hit. Eno added a keyboard arpeggio, similar to the one from Bad, the songs fate was still in doubt when The Edge was sent a prototype of the Infinite Guitar by Canadian musician Michael Brook, with whom he had collaborated for the Captive soundtrack. The prototype included elaborate assembly instructions and as The Edge recollects, one wrongly placed wire and this piece of gear would have failed even the most basic of safety regulations. On subsequent tours, his guitar technician occasionally received electric shocks from the instrument when preparing it for performances. Listening to the track to With or Without You in the control room, Bono. The combination of the guitar and the track being played together impressed those listening

18.
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
–
I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the albums second single in May 1987. The song was a hit, becoming the second consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 while peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart. The song originated from a demo the band recorded on which drummer Larry Mullen Jr. played a rhythm pattern. Like much of The Joshua Tree, the song was inspired by the groups interest in American music, I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For exhibits influences from gospel music and its lyrics describe spiritual yearning. Lead singer Bonos vocals are in register and lead guitarist the Edge plays a chiming arpeggio. Adding to the qualities of the song are choir-like backing vocals provided by the Edge and producers Brian Eno. I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For was critically acclaimed and received two nominations at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988, for Record of the Year and it has subsequently become one of the groups most well-known songs and has been performed on many of their concert tours. The track has appeared on several of their compilations and concert films, I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For originated from a demo variously titled The Weather Girls and Under the Weather that the band recorded during a jam session. Bassist Adam Clayton called the melody a bit of a one-note groove, while an unconvinced The Edge. However, the band liked the part played by drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Co-producer Daniel Lanois said. We always look for those beats that would qualify as a signature for the song, and that certainly was one of those. It had this thing that he does and nobody ever understands. And we just didnt want to let go of that beat, Lanois encouraged Mullen to continue developing the weird drum pattern beyond the demo. The group worked on the track at the studio they had set up at Danesmoate House in Dublin. Lanois compared the creation of the song to constructing a building, first laying down the drums as the foundation, then adding additional layers piece by piece, before finally putting in furniture. After the Edge wrote a sequence and played it on acoustic guitar with a lot of power in the strumming. During a jam session, Bono began singing a classic soul melody, at that point, he remembered a phrase he had written in a notebook that morning as a possible song title, I still havent found what Im looking for

19.
Where the Streets Have No Name
–
Where the Streets Have No Name is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the albums third single in August 1987. The songs hook is a guitar arpeggio using a delay effect, played during the songs introduction. Lead vocalist Bono wrote the lyrics in response to the notion that it is possible to identify a persons religion and income based on the street on which they lived, particularly in Belfast. During the bands difficulties recording the song, producer Brian Eno considered erasing the tapes to have them start from scratch. The song has remained a staple of their live act since the song debuted in 1987 on The Joshua Tree Tour, the song was performed on a Los Angeles rooftop for the filming of its music video, which won a Grammy Award for Best Performance Music Video. The music for Where the Streets Have No Name originated from a demo that guitarist The Edge composed the night before the group resumed The Joshua Tree sessions. In an upstairs room at Melbeach House—his newly purchased home—The Edge used a tape machine to record an arrangement of keyboards, bass, guitar. After finishing the mix, he felt he had come up with the most amazing guitar part. With no one in the house to share the demo with, The Edge recalls dancing around, although the band liked the demo, it was difficult for them to record the song. Bassist Adam Clayton said, At the time it sounded like a foreign language, the arrangement, with two time signature shifts and frequent chord changes, was rehearsed many times, but the group struggled to get a performance they liked. According to co-producer Daniel Lanois, that was the science project song, I remember having this massive schoolhouse blackboard, as we call them. I was holding a pointer, like a professor, walking the band through the chord changes like a fucking nerd. Co-producer Brian Eno estimates that half of the sessions were spent trying to record a suitable version of Where the Streets Have No Name. The band worked on a take for weeks, but as Eno explained, that particular version had a lot of problems with it. Through all of their work, they had gradually replaced each instrument take until nothing remained from the original performance, so much time had been spent on screwdriver work that Eno thought it would be best to start from scratch. His idea was to stage an accident and have the songs tapes erased and he said that this was not to force abandonment of the song, but rather that it would be more effective to start again with a fresh performance. The studio version of the song was compiled from different takes

20.
In God's Country
–
In Gods Country is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their fifth studio album The Joshua Tree and was released as the albums fourth single in November 1987 in North America only. In Gods Country was a song for the band to record, which they put down to not being trained musicians. During The Joshua Tree sessions, they knew it was not going be one of their best songs and it was developed out of Bonos frustration at trying to get. a bit of RocknRoll out of, the Edge. Bono tried to inspire the Edge by teasing and playing on his competitive instincts by claiming to be a better guitarist, of the song, Bono said lyric was really good, the tune is pretty good, and the hook is pretty average - thanks to the Edge. Played in the key of D, the verses of the studio version alternates between D and A minor chords, the first chorus repeats an Em-G-D-Em-G-D chord progression while the second chorus repeats a C-G-D-C-G-D progression. Bono has stated that he didnt know whether the song was about Ireland or America. The song characterises the United States as a rose and a siren whose dress is torn in ribbons. The lyric speaks of a lack of ideas in the West which Bono later contrasted to the revolution in Nicaragua where he had travelled during the recording of The Joshua Tree. Along with Where the Streets Have No Name, In Gods Countrys lyrics, in Gods Country was released as a single in Canada and the United States in November 1987. The cover art, sleeve, and B-sides were identical to those used for U2s 1988 single One Tree Hill, released only in New Zealand, the Canadian release was available on 7,12 and cassette, while the US release was limited to 7 only. In Gods Country reached number 44 on the Billboard singles chart, sales of the single may have been hampered by the fact that its b-sides were two tracks from The Joshua Tree album instead of the usual non-album tracks. An abridged live version of the recorded on the Joshua Tree Tour appeared on the bands 1988 rockumentary, Rattle and Hum. The singles video appears on Outside its America, a documentary tracking the bands first few weeks on tour through the American Southwest in 1987, the music video visualized the Irish immigrant experience and the complexities of the American Dream. It was ultimately not released to MTV or other outlets, hot Press editor and long-time U2 supporter, Bill Graham, described the song as. U2 cruising, a starter and not a main course. And referring to the lyrical cliches, he said the song was. saved by the fact that does Bono better than anybody else, the song is in the final scene and during the credits of the film Three Kings. List of covers of U2 songs - In Gods Country Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

21.
One Tree Hill (song)
–
One Tree Hill is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the ninth track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. In March 1988, it was released as the single from the album in New Zealand and Australia. The release charted at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart, the track was written in memory of Greg Carroll, a Māori man the band first met in Auckland during the Unforgettable Fire Tour in 1984. He became very close friends with lead singer Bono and later served as a roadie for the group, Carroll was killed in July 1986 in a motorcycle accident in Dublin. Following the tangi in New Zealand, Bono wrote the lyrics to One Tree Hill in Carrolls memory, the lyrics reflect Bonos thoughts at the tangi and during his first night in New Zealand when Carroll took him up Aucklands One Tree Hill. They also pay homage to Chilean singer-songwriter and activist Víctor Jara, musically, the song was developed in a jam session with producer Brian Eno. The vocals were recorded in a take, as Bono felt incapable of singing them a second time. One Tree Hill was received favourably by critics, who described it as a soft, haunting benediction, a remarkable musical centrepiece. U2 delayed performing the song on the Joshua Tree Tour in 1987 because of Bonos fears over his emotional state and it has appeared only sporadically since then, and most renditions were performed in New Zealand. Performances in November 2010 on the U2 360° Tour were dedicated to the miners who died in the Pike River Mine disaster, U2 first visited Australia and New Zealand in 1984 to open The Unforgettable Fire Tour. After a 24-hour flight into Auckland, lead singer Bono was unable to adjust to the difference between New Zealand and Europe. He left his room during the night and met some people who showed him around the city. They ended up taking Bono up One Tree Hill, one of the highest –, Greg worked as a stage hand gently stopping people getting on stage, and was described as this very helpful fellah running around the place. U2s manager Paul McGuinness thought Carroll was so helpful that he should accompany the band for the remainder of the tour, the group helped him obtain a passport, and he subsequently joined them on the road in Australia and the United States as their assistant. He became very close friends with Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, on 3 July 1986, just before the start of the recording sessions for The Joshua Tree, Carroll was killed in a motorcycle accident while on a courier run. A car had pulled in front of him, and unable to stop in the rain, the event shocked the entire band, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. said, his death really rocked us – it was the first time anyone in our working circle had been killed. Bassist Adam Clayton described it as a sobering moment, saying. That your family, your friends and indeed the other members of the band – you dont know how much youve got left with them

22.
Desire (U2 song)
–
Desire is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. Released as the lead single, Desire was the bands first number-one single in the UK. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U. S. and topped both the Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, the first song to reach the top of both of these charts simultaneously and it reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. In 1989, Desire won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, the band cite the Stooges song 1969 as the primary influence on Desire, which is an interpolation of the Bo Diddley Beat. Desire debuted live on the first night of the Lovetown Tour on 21 September 1989, and appeared at almost every concert on that tour. It segued into a cover of Bob Dylans All Along the Watchtower, on the Zoo TV Tour, Desire was re-invented with different effects on the Edges guitar, and it opened most encores. Bono would use the song to accentuate characteristics of his onstage alteregos Mirrorball Man, on the PopMart Tour, Bono and the Edge would play the song acoustically. For the Elevation Tour, it was an electric version played at the tip of a heart-shaped walkway that extended into the audience. Adam Clayton would join in with bass just before the bridge, on 15 October 2004, at an appearance on British television promoting the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album, Bono and Edge performed a rough electric version. On the Vertigo Tour, Desire was not played at all on the tours first three legs, and appeared just once in a form on the fourth leg in response to a fans request in São Paulo. It made a full debut at the beginning of the fifth leg at the second show in Sydney. Desire was played sporadically during the U2 360° Tour tour, usually played in a semi-acoustic form, on one occasion, it was combined with Bruce Springsteens Shes the One. It has been played semi-regularly on the Innocence + Experience Tour during their b-stage set, desires B-side Hallelujah has never been played in full live by U2 but was debatably snippeted once during Bullet the Blue Sky. Desire has appeared on two U2 compilation albums, The Best of 1980-1990 and U218 Singles, an early version of the song appears in the form of a studio performance in the Rattle and Hum film. Desire has furthermore appeared on Zoo TV, Live from Sydney, PopMart, Live from Mexico City, Elevation 2001, Live from Boston, the music video for Desire was filmed in Hollywood, California. It is the Hollywood remix version of the song, with members and local people in assorted places in the city. Bono – lead vocals, harmonica The Edge – guitar, backing vocals Adam Clayton – bass guitar Larry Mullen Jr

23.
Angel of Harlem
–
Angel of Harlem is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track on their 1988 studio album Rattle. It peaked at nine on the UK Singles Chart, number eight on the Dutch Top 40, number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrical content of the song refers to various New York City-area landmarks, including JFK airport, WBLS radio and it also refers to jazz-related history including John Coltrane and A Love Supreme, Birdland club, Miles Davis and Holiday herself. The song was a regular on 1989s Lovetown Tour and was played with B. B, a stripped-down acoustic rendition was performed on the Zoo TV Tour in 1992 and 1993 on a b-stage positioned in the midst of the crowd. It was then not played again until 2001s Elevation Tour, when it was performed acoustically and sometimes in its original electric style. The only performances on 2005s Vertigo Tour came when a fan was pulled on stage in Dallas in late October to play guitar. The fan asked to play Angel of Harlem and although Bonos knowledge of the lyrics was poor, the agreed to the request. The song has also performed on 2009s U2 360° Tour with dedications to Michael Jackson. The version of A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel on The Best of 1980-1990 B-Sides disc is actually an edit of the version on this single

24.
When Love Comes to Town
–
When Love Comes to Town is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring blues guitarist B. B. It is the track from U2s 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis, when Love Comes to Town reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK singles chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40 and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Little Richard is featured preaching, rapping in funky rhyme style, the single contained two different versions of the Patti Smith song Dancing Barefoot. The 7 and cassette featured the version, while the 12. While U2 has stopped playing it live since 1993, it continued to be featured in B. B. King concerts. During the Lovetown Tour concerts, this song would be played, usually along with Angel of Harlem and Love Rescue Me, in an encore featuring B. B. and his band. The debut performance took place on 24 November 1987 in Fort Worth, TX during the concerts encore, on 1989s Lovetown Tour, the song again featured during the encore and was played with BB King. It was played at 46 of the 47 shows, the concert it missed was 18 December 1989 in Amsterdam. On the next tour, 1992-93s Zoo TV Tour, When Love Comes to Town did not debut until the second-last concert of the first leg on 21 April 1992 in Tacoma. It appeared only infrequently on the leg, in Europe, but on the third leg, in North America, it was performed frequently. The Zoo TV Tour version of the song was stripped down in comparison to versions and was performed on a b-stage in the midst of the crowd. U2 would not perform the song for years after the legs final show on 28 August 1993 in Dublin. On 26 October 2008, Bono and the Edge rejoined B. B. King to play the song for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Founders Award, all lyrics written by Bono, all music composed by U2, except Dancing Barefoot. List of covers of U2 songs - When Love Comes to Town Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

25.
B.B. King
–
Riley Benjamin King, known professionally as B. B. King, was an American blues singer, electric guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. King introduced a style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists. King was known for performing throughout his musical career, appearing at more than 200 concerts per year on average into his 70s. In 1956, he appeared at 342 shows. King was born on a plantation in Berclair, Mississippi. He was attracted to music and the guitar in church, and began his career in juke joints. He later lived in Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago, King died at the age of 89 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 14,2015, from congestive heart failure and diabetic complications. Riley Benjamin King was born on September 16,1925, on a plantation called Berclair, near the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi. He considered the city of Indianola, Mississippi to be his home. When Riley was four years old, his mother left his father for another man, so the boy was raised by his grandmother, Elnora Farr, in Kilmichael. While young, King sang in the choir at Elkhorn Baptist Church in Kilmichael. King was attracted to the Pentecostal Church of God in Christ because of its music, the local minister led worship with a Sears Roebuck Silvertone guitar. The minister taught King his first three chords and it seems that at the age of 12 he purchased his first guitar for $15.00, although another source indicates he was given his first guitar by Bukka White, his mothers first cousin. In November 1941 King Biscuit Time first aired, broadcasting on KFFA in Helena and it was a radio show featuring the Mississippi Delta blues. King listened to it while on break at a plantation, a self-taught guitarist, he then wanted to become a radio musician. In 1946, King followed Bukka White to Memphis, Tennessee, White took him in for the next ten months. However, King returned to Mississippi shortly afterward, where he decided to prepare himself better for the next visit and he performed on Sonny Boy Williamsons radio program on KWEM in West Memphis, where he began to develop an audience. Kings appearances led to engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis

26.
All I Want Is You (U2 song)
–
All I Want Is You is the final song on U2s 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released on 13 June 1989 as the albums fourth and final single. It is the song from the film, Rattle and Hum. String arrangements on the song are by Van Dyke Parks, All I Want Is You was released in the UK as a single on 12 June 1989. The B-side featured covers of The Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody, and it reached number 4 in the UK charts and number 2 in Australia, number 12 on the Dutch Top 40, but only reached number 67 and number 83 in the Canadian and American charts, respectively. It appeared on the soundtrack for the 1994 film Reality Bites, the popularity of the song in the film led to a re-release in 1994 where it reached number 38 in the U. S. The single was rereleased in the Netherlands with Everlasting Love now being the a-side, Everlasting Love reached number 10 in the Dutch Charts, in January 1990. In 2004, it was ranked number 9 in Entertainment Weeklys list of The 50 Greatest Love Songs and it is also featured during an episode of Hindsight and the final scenes of the 2011 film Contagion. The song October appears on the compilation album The Best of 1980-1990 as a hidden track encoded within the track for All I Want Is You following about a minute of silence. Director Meiert Avis shot the video in the town of Ostia. Written by Barry Devlin, the video takes a cinematic approach to the song. The video tells the story of a dwarf played by Paolo Risi who falls in love with a trapeze artist played by Paola Rinaldi, while there is disagreement amongst fans about exactly who has died, The Edge was quoted as saying it is the trapeze artist who dies. This video pays homage to Fellini, who was shooting his last movie, La Voce Della Luna only a few miles away from the U2 set, and also to Tod Brownings 1932 film Freaks. All I Want Is You was played at almost every date of 1989s Lovetown Tour, occasionally seguing into Bad and it has since been featured in some capacity at every subsequent tour. On the Zoo TV Tour in 1992 and 1993, it was merely a snippet at the end of Bad. The version played on 1997s PopMart Tour was much more complete, during its performance on 2001s Elevation Tour, it would segue into Where the Streets Have No Name. Another version was played on their Vertigo Tour, in the usual place of Miracle Drug. The song also closed some shows of the 4th leg, in South America, All I Want Is You has also seen occasional appearances on the U2 360° Tour. At the July 2,2011 show in Nashville, Bono invited a fan onstage to play All I Want Is You on guitar for his wife after normal set closer Moment of Surrender

27.
The Fly (song)
–
The Fly is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby. The Fly introduced a more abrasive sounding U2, as the song featured danceable hip-hop beats, industrial textures, distorted vocals, and an elaborate guitar solo. Lead vocalist Bono described the song as the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree, due to its departure from the traditional sound that had characterised the band in the 1980s. Bono described the subject as that of a phone call from someone in Hell who enjoys being there. The lyrics are written as a series of aphorisms that Bono collected during the albums recording, the song became the bands second number-one single in the UK and was successful among alternative rock radio audiences. The writing of The Fly began during recording sessions for Achtung Baby at Berlins Hansa Studios in 1990, the songs origins can be traced to a demo recorded there, which eventually evolved into the B-side Lady With the Spinning Head. The demo was among the material that was bootlegged from the Berlin sessions and released as Salome, in 1991, the albums recording sessions moved to the seaside mansion Elsinore in Dalkey, where the group continued to work on the demo. It was troublesome, but it inspired portions of three songs, The Fly being one of them, and Ultraviolet and Zoo Station being the other two. Lead vocalist Bono stated, One day, Flood had a different look in his eye, Edges guitar sound was literally like a fly had broken into your brain and was buzzing around. While recording the song, Bono devised a persona he called The Fly and he recalls that during the recording sessions, Fintan Fitzgerald, in charge of the bands wardrobe, found a 1970s pair of wraparound blaxploitation sunglasses. Bono would put them on and make everyone laugh whenever they faced a problem or disagreement and he recalls, I became very interested in these single-line aphorisms. I had been writing them, so I got this character who could say them all, from A liar wont believe anybody else to A friend is someone who lets you down, and thats where The Fly was coming from. Towards the end of the sessions, the band decided that they were unhappy with the mix to The Fly, the band ended up taking the songs mix, placing it on a two-inch multi-track tape, and adding additional vocals and guitars. The Edge and producer Daniel Lanois mixed on top of the mix live in the studio. The Edge says the technique would make studio professionals laugh and believes part of the reason why sounds so dynamic is because it was a real hands-on performance mix. The guitar sounds in the opening were created by mixing additional guitar on top of the existing guitar, bassist Adam Clayton mentioned that at that time, it was impossible to know whether U2 fans would follow Bono down this particular path, so was a real leap of faith. The whole track is a high-energy sonic barrage but with an angelic chorus and its a classic example of U2 and Eno interfacing

28.
Mysterious Ways (song)
–
Mysterious Ways is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby and was released as the albums second single on 25 November 1991. The song reached the top ten of the charts in several countries, including the bands native Ireland. In the United States, the song topped the Modern Rock Tracks and Album Rock Tracks charts, the song began as an improvisation called Sick Puppy, with the band only liking the bass part that bassist Adam Clayton composed. The band struggled to build a song from it, with vocalist Bono, the songs breakthrough came after guitarist the Edge began experimenting with the Korg A3 effects unit. Mysterious Ways features a beat, funky guitar hook, and conga-laden percussion, as well as mystical lyrics by Bono about romance. A music video for the song was filmed in Morocco and incorporated distorted images of Bono, Mysterious Ways made its live debut on the Zoo TV Tour in 1992, when performances were accompanied by an on-stage belly dancer. The group has continued to perform the song on subsequent tours, the band liked Claytons bassline, which originated during their recording of a cover version of Night and Day and for a while, consisted of little more than a one-note groove. However, the band had difficulties completing the remainder of the song melodically. Bono said that it was a line in search of a song. As U2 continued to struggle with the song, the atmosphere of the recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin took its toll. Producer Daniel Lanois arrived at the early one morning before the band to work on ideas he had for the song. When Bono arrived, he began singing and contributing vocal ideas, Bono and a frustrated Lanois proceeded to argue intensely for over two hours, worrying sound engineer Joe OHerlihy that a physical altercation would ensue. Bono looks back on the episode with a sense of humour and he cares about the record hes making as much and more than any band or artist hes working with. The song One, which proved to be breakthrough in the recording sessions for Achtung Baby. The Edge caught Lanois attention while toying around with chord progressions for the bridge of Mysterious Ways. Encouraged by Lanois, the Edge combined two of the progressions, inspiring the rest of the group to join him and improvise the new song One. The band made progress on Mysterious Ways after the Edge began experimenting with the Funk Wah setting on a Korg A3 guitar effects unit, Bono said it made an envelope of sound which would turn a guitar chord into the funkiest of jackhammers

29.
One (U2 song)
–
One is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby. During the albums recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the members over the direction of U2s sound and the quality of their material. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, were inspired by the band members fractured relationships, although the lyrics ostensibly describe disunity, they have been interpreted in other ways. One was released as a single, with proceeds going towards AIDS research. In promotion of the song, the band filmed music videos. The song was acclaimed by critics upon its release, and it has since featured in polls of the greatest songs of all time. U2 has performed One at most of their concerts since the songs live debut in 1992. In a live setting, One is often used by the group to promote human rights or social causes, and the song lends its namesake to Bonos charitable organisation. In 2005, U2 re-recorded the song as part of a duet with R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige on her album The Breakthrough, in October 1990, U2 arrived in Berlin on the eve of German reunification to begin the recording sessions for Achtung Baby at Hansa Studios. Expecting to be inspired by a New Europe and the city, the band instead found the mood to be bleak and soon conflict arose over their musical direction. The band also had difficulty developing demos and musical ideas into completed songs, Bono and the Edge believed the lack of progress was the fault of the band, while Clayton and Mullen Jr. believed the problem was the quality of the songs. Mullen said he thought this might be the end of the band, ultimately, a breakthrough in the sessions was achieved. While jamming on a song called Sick Puppy—an early version of Mysterious Ways—the band tried different chord progressions for the bridge, the jam stopped and the Edge tried playing them alone on an acoustic guitar, as everyone was trying to decide if they were any good. At the suggestion of producer Daniel Lanois, the Edge played two separate sections sequentially, the band liked the way it flowed and decided to try and play it together. Speaking of the improvisation, the Edge said, suddenly something very powerful happening in the room and he added, Everyone recognized it was a special piece. It was like wed caught a glimpse of what the song could be, soon afterwards, the band had developed the piece of music into One. Bono recalls that the melody, the whole thing was done in 15 minutes

30.
Even Better Than the Real Thing
–
Even Better Than the Real Thing is the second song on U2s 1991 album Achtung Baby. It was released as the fourth single on 8 June 1992. Even Better Than the Real Thing originated from a guitar riff that the Edge composed in Los Angeles during the Rattle. A demo of the song, called The Real Thing, was recorded at STS Studios during the session in which Desire was recorded. The band remarked that the guitar riff reminded them of the Rolling Stones. Consequently, it was shelved until the Achtung Baby recording sessions, the band made little progress on the demo there, as the Berlin sessions were fraught with conflict and difficulty in completing songs. The recording sessions, as well as the mood, improved after the band returned to Dublin in 1991 to record at the Elsinore mansion on the Dalkey coastline. The song turned around after the Edge purchased a DigiTech Whammy effects pedal, the band rediscovered their sense of fun and incorporated that into the writing of the song. Producer Brian Eno originally argued against the inclusion on the album when it contained the lyric There aint nothing like the real thing, claiming the song had to be more ironic. After the lyric was revised to Even better than the thing, Eno changed his stance. Richard Branson requested to use the song in advertisements for his Virgin Cola to compete with Coca-Cola, but the band declined. When the covers to Even Better Than the Real Thing, The Fly, Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, and Mysterious Ways are arranged, the music video was shot in London, England on January 1992. It was directed by Kevin Godley, formerly of 10cc and Godley & Creme and it won an MTV Video Music Award in 1992 for Best Special Effects for its unique 360-degree camera rollover rig, designed and built by Simon Tayler of Artem in London specifically for the video. The song was performed at every date of the bands Zoo TV and PopMart Tours, the Fish Out of Water remix, later released in the 20th anniversary edition of Achtung Baby, was played as the opening song during the 2011 legs of the U2 360° Tour. This remix would return for performances during the Innocence + Experience Tour, the song peaked at #12 becoming one of the few U2 singles that failed to reach the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. It made #8 on the Dutch Top 40, a few months after its initial release DJ Paul Oakenfold remix charted better than the original, reaching No.8. In the United States, the single was a hit on radio, where it reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 1997, readers of Mojo named the song the 71st-best track of the 1990s, a few months after its initial release DJ Paul Oakenfolds remix charted better than the original, reaching No.8 in the UK

31.
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
–
Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses is the fifth track on U2s 1991 album, Achtung Baby. It was released as the fifth and final single in 1992. Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses began as a demo that the band recorded at STS Studios in 1990, the band worked on it during the formal Achtung Baby sessions, including several failed attempts at Hansa Studios in Berlin. This produced several versions of the song and about a dozen mixes, however, the original demo remained their preferred version. Producer Jimmy Iovine, in particular, expressed his preference for the demo version when lead vocalist Bono played it for him, during the groups time recording in Dublin in 1991, producer Steve Lillywhite was brought on to provide a fresh pair of ears and mix the song. The album version most closely resembles the original demo, Lillywhite recalls that, They hated that song. I spent a month on it and I still dont think it was as realised as it couldve been, the Americans had heard it and said, Thats your radio song there, because they were having trouble with some of the more industrial elements. Its almost like a band doing a U2 moment. Bono said, Its a song I feel we didnt quite nail on the record there was another whole set of lyrics that were dumped and I wrote those quickly. The band later released an alternately arranged Temple Bar Remix as the single, the band also has claimed they find the song difficult to perform in concert. Bassist Adam Clayton said, Its a great song, with melody and emotion. When the covers to Even Better Than the Real Thing, The Fly, Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, and Mysterious Ways are arranged, a picture of the band members driving a Trabant is formed. The single included Bonos solo version of Cant Help Falling in Love, the song was performed in full during the first two legs and the first show of the third leg during the Zoo TV Tour in 1992. It made a few appearances during the rest of the tour in a shorter, lines from the song were added at the end of their song Bad during the final leg of the Elevation Tour. Garbage reworked the song for the 2011 tribute album AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered, Achtung Baby was a huge influence on the first Garbage album, remarked Butch Vig. Its groovy and gritty, hi-fi and lo-fi, industrial and orchestral and we picked this song because we love the lyrics. We stripped the verses down and changed the chord to minor chord. We were in the making the new Garbage album at the time

32.
Numb (U2 song)
–
Numb is a song by rock band U2. It is the track from their 1993 album Zooropa and was released in June 1993 as the albums first single. The song features a monotonous mantra of dont commands spoken by guitarist the Edge amidst a backdrop of various sound effects, the noisy composition and lyrical concept for Numb were inspired by the theme of sensory overload, which had prominently been incorporated into the Zoo TV Tour. Lead singer Bono and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. provided backing vocals on the track, the song received remixes from Paul Oakenfold, Rollo Armstrong and Rob Dougan. Numb originated as a song from the Achtung Baby recording sessions called Down All the Days. The song was released as a VHS single, featuring a video directed by Kevin Godley. U2 added Numb to their set lists after resuming their Zoo TV Tour in May 1993. Numb originated as a song from the Achtung Baby sessions called Down All the Days that was recorded with producer Daniel Lanois at Berlins Hansa Studios. Guitarist the Edge said, It almost worked, calling it a quite unhinged electronic backing track with a traditional melody. During the Zooropa sessions of February–May 1993, U2 revisited the song, at Windmill Lane Studios, producer Brian Eno began working with a stereo submix of the Berlin version, containing guitar, bass, bass pedals and drums, that Flood had created. Eno added about six or seven tracks of keyboards to the submix, mostly samples, some of the samples included Arabic voices and congas. According to Flood, The idea of his overdubs was to make up out of non-musical noises, like loops of pieces of dialogue. The Edge called Enos additions fantastic, the song’s biggest contribution came while the band were organizing the final running order for Zooropa. The Edge spent several hours in another studio with the mix, experimenting with ideas, eventually adding vocals in a monotone and he said that writing the lyrics came very quickly, and that he wrote so many lyrics that two verses had to be cut from the song. His vocals were recorded at Westland Studios in Dublin, where the band spent one day for the album sessions, Flood subtly added gating to his voice to turn the level down when he wasnt singing. The addition of the Edge’s vocals, for the most part, Bono and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. provided backing vocals. Flood treated Bono’s vocals with heavy reverb to compliment his falsetto soul voice, after the vocals were overdubbed, Flood and the Edge mixed the track at Westland Studios. The Edge described it as a few hours work and a lot of editing, a sample of a Walkman cassette player rewinding was accidentally recorded onto the audio tapes, but the group liked the sound and looped it throughout the song

33.
Lemon (U2 song)
–
Lemon is the fourth song and second single from U2s 1993 album, Zooropa. Inspired by old video footage of Bonos late mother, the lyrics describe an attempt to preserve memory through film, more than any previous U2 song, Lemon showcases Bonos falsetto skills, aided by atmospheric vocals from the Edge and Brian Eno. The song has described as futuristic German disco. The album version is one of U2s longest songs, Lemon was written late during the Zooropa sessions between March–May 1993 during the bands break in the Zoo TV Tour. Guitarist the Edge said the song originated from something he worked up with a machine and bass. He explained that he found it difficult to compose a part to the song until he utilized an unusual gated guitar effect which worked with the rhythm. Lead vocalist Bono wrote the lyrics with his mother in mind. The footage showed Bonos mother at a wedding as the maid of honour, the film footage inspired Bono to write lyrics about using film to recreate and preserve memory. The single and promo releases were complete with different dance remixes, the Perfecto Mix was later reworked into Skin on Skin by Oakenfolds band Grace. The song was played live at 10 different Zoo TV shows in Australia, New Zealand, during each performance, Bono would perform the song dressed as Zoo TV character MacPhisto, a former cabaret performer with devilish horns. Each performance was followed by the bands With or Without You. As with most of Zooropa’s material, Lemon has never performed live by U2 since the close of the Zoo TV tour. The music video for Lemon, directed by Mark Neale, was filmed in black, Muybridge was a photographer who was the first person to successfully capture fast motion on film, using his device, coincidentally named the Zoopraxiscope, a reference to the lyrics. The video primarily features a sequence of clips of the members playing their instruments and performing a series of distinct actions. In the background of the video, a pendulum can be seen swinging, a clock can be seen ticking, as well as falling from the sky, various scientific objects. All of these seem to be representing mans attempt to preserve time, via money, religion. The video also featured Bono dressed as both The Fly and MacPhisto, ISBN 0-00-719668-7 Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

34.
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
–
Stay is a song by rock band U2. It is the track on their 1993 album, Zooropa. The song was a top ten hit in Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, the music video was shot in Berlin, Germany. The earliest incarnation of the song developed during sessions for the groups 1991 album Achtung Baby and it was written for and inspired by Frank Sinatra and bore his surname as the original working title. An alternate recording was used in the Wim Wenders film Faraway, Stay was well received by critics and nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The song made its debut on the Zoo TV Tour but has only been performed intermittently in an acoustic version over subsequent tours. Members of U2 consider it to be one of their songs, guitarist The Edge named it the best track on the album. The earliest incarnation of Stay was developed during the sessions for Achtung Baby. While working in Hansa Ton Studios in Berlin, guitarist The Edge, the track was given the working title Sinatra in reference to the artist whose music inspired it. The group reworked it in preparation of Zooropa, the Edge noted it came to us in installments. Bassist Adam Clayton said it was hard to figure out how we would do it, I mean, no one is going to mistake us for Frank Sinatras backing band. A very humble little combo sound is what we ended up with, the Edge added I was playing around on piano with some old-school chord progressions trying to summon up the spirit of Frank Sinatra. Its definitely not from a rock and roll tradition and he worked out a chord progression based on old Tin Pan Alley songs. As the recording progressed, Wim Wenders approached the band and asked them for a song for his next film, Faraway. The Edge said we heard Wim Wenders was looking for a song, so I had a go at finishing it. U2 watched the film, Faraway, So Close. for inspiration on how to craft the song, Bono said the film was about angels who want to be human and who want to be on Earth. But to do so they have to become mortal and that was a great image to play with - the impossibility of wanting something like this, and then the cost of having it. Close to the completion of the recording Bono renamed the song Stay, wanting to further reference the Wenders film he then changed it once more, to Stay

35.
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
–
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is a 1995 single by U2 from the Batman Forever soundtrack album. The song received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, the song is included on From the Ground Up, Edges Picks from U2360°. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me has its origins in the sessions for the bands 1993 album, Bono described it as being about being in a rock band and being a star. The songs title comes from a play on the classic song Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me and it is visible on the album cover of Zooropa. Although both tried to make the scene happen, they came to agree it was not suitable for the film, instead, the band offered Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me as a contribution to the soundtrack. The song was played live on every show of the PopMart Tour as part of the encore and it was not played again until the 2010 leg of the U2 360° Tour, opening the second encore. From there, it remained a permanent part of the encore until the end of the tour in 2011 and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, losing to Colors of the Wind for Pocahontas. It also received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, the animated music video to the song was directed by Kevin Godley and Maurice Linnane. It features the band performing in Gotham City, with Bono battling between two of his alter-egos from the Zoo TV Tour, The Fly and MacPhisto, the band also chases the Batwing, using a yellow supercar and their guitars as flamethrowers. The animated sequence also features characters dressed as the Riddler, Dr Chase, at one brief point of the video, a neon sign can be seen that reads Mister Pusseys. In another scene, the band is walking down the street when Bono is run over by a car while reading a copy of C. S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters and he makes his appearance, terrifying the doctors and the other band members. The video ends with an orchestra of Batmen playing the outro on strings, then a shot from above of Bono repeatedly transforming into MacPhisto, author Višnja Cogan cites the songs video as the one that crystallises and concludes the Zoo TV period and the changes that occurred. The song featured singles with three different track listings, note that the B-sides on the first two singles are non-U2 songs. There was also a single-track CD distributed in the U. S as part of a Batman Forever gift bag, along with a comic book, trading card. Bono – vocals The Edge – guitar, string arrangement Adam Clayton – bass guitar Larry Mullen Jr

36.
Miss Sarajevo
–
Miss Sarajevo is the only single from the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1 by U2 and Brian Eno, under the pseudonym Passengers. Luciano Pavarotti makes a guest vocal appearance, singing the opera solo and it also appears on U2s compilation, The Best of 1990-2000, and was covered by George Michael on his album, Songs from the Last Century. While the song did not reach the Billboard Hot 100, it reached No.6 on the UK Singles Chart and was a hit in many other European countries. Bono, the lead vocalist, cites Miss Sarajevo as his favourite U2 song. American journalist Bill Carter suggested to Bono an idea to film a documentary based on Sarajevos underground resistance movement, not only did Bono produce the film, he also provided the funds needed to support the project. The film captures the dark humour of the besieged Sarajevans, their refusal to be demoralised. Original Soundtracks 1 is an album of songs based mostly on non-existent films, however, the film Miss Sarajevo is a documentary by Bill Carter about a beauty pageant held in the midst of war-torn Sarajevo, Bosnia. The winner was a 17-year-old blonde named Inela Nogić, Carter travelled to Sarajevo in the winter of 1993 to offer humanitarian aid and quickly found himself in the heart of the conflict. He lived for six months in an office building, subsisting on baby food and whatever water he could find in the rivers and sewers and delivering food. Carter originally contacted U2 while they were on their Zoo TV Tour to show audiences the real people involved, the link-ups were brief and unedited. Carter had his camera sent to him from his home in California so he could film the documentary with the goal of exposing people to the individuals living through the war. The war is just a backdrop, it could be any war, the point is the vitality of the spirit to survive, laugh, to love, and to move on. The song protests the war in Bosnia, criticising the international community for its inability to stop the war or help those affected by it and it was the only single released from the album. Its video combines clips from Bill Carters documentary with footage from the Passengers first performance of the song at the 1995 Pavarotti and Friends concert in Modena. Clips from the documentary contain striking imagery, such as a shot of beauty pageant contestants holding up a banner with the words DONT LET THEM KILL US, as seen on the singles artwork. Carter and Bono’s documentary collaboration reflects on the accounts of the civilians of Sarajevo. This conflict stems from the struggle between Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Muslim government forces. This is the longest siege of a city in the history of modern warfare

37.
Staring at the Sun (U2 song)
–
Staring at the Sun is the second single from U2s 1997 album, Pop. It peaked at No.3 on the UK singles chart, No.1 on the Modern Rock Tracks, No.2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, and No.26 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written with the line Stuck together with Gods glue, which was directly from the title of the album by the Irish band Something Happens. A new mix of Staring at the Sun was released for the compilation, during the summer of 2002 recording sessions in which Electrical Storm and The Hands That Built America were recorded, parts for four U2 songs were re-recorded, including Staring at the Sun. The song has been compared to the work of Oasis, a kaleidoscope bearing the singles logo in gold was distributed to promote the single. Staring at the Sun was played at most of the PopMart Tour shows, however, during the first concert at Las Vegas, U2 failed to time the song correctly and had to start over. Bono singing at the tempo was to blame for the mistake. The song was performed acoustically for most of the rest of that tour and it had several appearances on the Elevation Tour, being the only Pop song to be performed on all three legs of the Elevation Tour. Sometimes it also appeared as a snippet in Discothèque and it has not been played with the full band since October 24,2001 in New York City. It appeared in the live videos/recordings Please, PopHeart Live EP, Please single, PopMart, Live from Mexico City, Hasta la Vista Baby. and U2 Go Home, Live from Slane Castle and these remixes by Brothers in Rhythm originated as bootlegs on 12 vinyl. They use the live Rotterdam performance featured on the Please single rather than the album version, U2 approved it for limited promotional use to coincide with the release of The Best of 1990-2000

38.
Last Night on Earth (U2 song)
–
Last Night on Earth is the third single from U2s 1997 album, Pop. The song features excerpts from Trayra Boia, written by Naná Vasconcelos, Last Night on Earth was first written during the Zooropa sessions as documented by rock DJ and journalist BP Fallon in his book U2 Faraway So Close. But was put aside until a date, then when the band started work on Pop sessions which took place from 1995 to early 1997 they dug it up again. Assuming they had plenty of time to recording the songs for the album, the band told manager Paul McGuinness to go ahead and book their PopMart Tour. As time got closer and closer to the start of the tour, the band running out of time to finish recording the album. The band immediately regretted their decision to let McGuinness book the tour, Last Night on Earth was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. After being up all night, Bono began singing the line Youve got to give it away, since the initial recording of the song was done at the last minute, the band went back into the recording studio during the tour to record the song for its single release. Out of Pops five single releases, this was the first of three songs to be re-recorded for its single, the single was released in July 1997, and its cover featured a pop art-like parody of The Scream featuring the Edge. Following the singles release, Please and If God Will Send His Angels were later also re-recorded and released as singles in October and December 1997, respectively. Last Night on Earth was one of 17 songs to be played at each of the 93 PopMart shows, where six of the 17 songs were from Pop. With the exception of the first several shows of the tour, Live performances typically lasted longer than the length of the song on the album, as they featured several additions that were not present in the studio recording. Before the first verse, Bono would start the song by saying something similar to the following, found alcohol I went looking for soul. And I bought some style I wanted to meet God, the end of the song featured a guitar jam, featuring both Bono and the Edge playing electric guitar. Despite the changes made to the song during its live performances, the other songs performed live from Pop were completely rearranged and restructured for their live performances by the time the band was halfway through their tour. The only officially released live performance was taken from the show in Mexico City. The video PopMart, Live from Mexico City features Last Night on Earth, despite this, Last Night on Earth has not been performed at all since the end of the PopMart Tour. The video was filmed in Kansas City, Missouri, and directed by Richie Smyth and it features Sophie Dahl and William S. Burroughs in his final filmed performance. The production of a portion of the video required the closure of Interstate 670, List of covers of U2 songs - Last Night on Earth List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

39.
Please (U2 song)
–
Please is the eleventh song from U2s 1997 album, Pop. It was released as the fourth single on 20 October 1997. As with Sunday Bloody Sunday, the song is about The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the single cover for this song features the pictures of four Northern Irish politicians – Gerry Adams, David Trimble, Ian Paisley, and John Hume. Two months before the release of the single, live versions of Please and this song was played live during every performance of the PopMart Tour, with an outro similar to the drumbeat to that of Sunday Bloody Sunday. Each performance segued directly into Where the Streets Have No Name, during the Elevation Tour, the song was initially played in electric form before being played acoustically by Bono and the Edge at about 20 different shows. The song has not been played in full since the show of the Elevation Tour. However, it was sampled along with The Hands That Built America during Bullet the Blue Sky on the Vertigo Tour. It was later sampled in the outro of Ill Go Crazy If I Dont Go Crazy Tonight on the U2 360° Tour to lead into the beginning of fellow Northern Ireland Troubles song Sunday Bloody Sunday. Note The four live tracks were released in other countries on the Please. The Please singles were backed with the following B-sides, Two remixes of Dirty Day from Zooropa were made for the single and this song was recorded for the soundtrack for Wim Wenders The End of Violence, with guest vocals by Sinéad OConnor. The version featured here is a remix, with few differences from the original version. This performance was taken from the European première of the PopMart Tour on 18 July 1997 at Feijenoord Stadium, in Rotterdam, the end of the performance included some lyrics from another song from Pop, The Playboy Mansion. This performance of With or Without You was taken from the first leg of the PopMart Tour in June 1997, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada. This performance of Staring at the Sun, played by Bono and it was a more subtle, vocal-oriented version, with only the two guitars and some harmonies during the choruses. There are five versions of this available, The album version. The single version, on the single and video and this version was more similar to the live performances, with an orchestrated intro and the Sunday Bloody Sunday drumbeat on the middle eight. This version was recorded at the Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands, the USA edit, a special edit included on the US versions of the Please single CD. It is a stripped down and shortened version of the single version

40.
If God Will Send His Angels
–
If God Will Send His Angels is the fifth single from U2s 1997 album, Pop, released on 8 December 1997. It was also featured on the City of Angels soundtrack, the If God Will Send His Angels singles were backed with the following B-sides, Slow Dancing is a country song written by Bono for Willie Nelson in 1989. Its first release was on a 1993 single, Stay, and performed solely by Bono, in 1997, U2 had the opportunity to record it with Nelson. This version features the band, in addition to vocals by Nelson. Bono and Brian Eno provide backing vocals and this song was written by Bono and the Edge for Frank Sinatra in 1992. It is a lounge song written in the style of Sinatras music. This performance was recorded live by Bono and the Edge in a London studio for Sinatras 80th birthday and it was played for Sinatra in the United States at a televised birthday tribute on 19 November 1995 and was likely recorded a few days earlier. It has an arrangement by Craig Armstrong. Although Frank Sinatra never got a chance to record it himself, his daughter, Nancy Sinatra, U2s Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. play bass and drums respectively for the track. Sinatra changes the pronouns in the lyrics from a perspective to a third-person. Canadian singer Matt Dusk recorded the song for his album, Two Shots, the performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday was recorded live at the bands PopMart show at Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina on 23 September 1997. Because Bono lost his voice early in the show, guitarist the Edge sang the song and it is a quiet, pensive performance of the song, a stark contrast from the fiery original on War. This was the first time the song was performed this way and this version of the song was remixed by Johnny Moy. There are three versions of song, The album version, which appears on Pop. This is the original and the longest version of the song, the single version, which appears on the single, the City of Angels soundtrack, and the music video. Its choruses are arranged in the order, and it has a different ending, shortening the track by 50 seconds. The Big Yam Mix, a remix of the song appears on the Mofo single as well as the B-sides disc of The Best of 1990-2000. The song was promoted with a video directed by Phil Joanou

41.
Mofo (song)
–
It is the third track on the bands 1997 album Pop and it was released as the albums final single on 8 December 1997. The song was written about Bonos mother, who died when he was 14 years old. Other songs which Bono wrote about his mother include Lemon, I Will Follow, Iris, andrew Unterberger of Stylus Magazine considers the song to be the only legitimate evidence of U2s supposed dance-oriented direction on the album. He said the song was Underworld-esque house frenzy, mofo opened every concert from the 1997-1998 PopMart Tour. Although the studio version released on the album was more techno-oriented and it appears in the concert film PopMart, Live from Mexico City and also on Hasta la Vista Baby. A live album from the same show, british electronica band Underworld also recorded a remix that was never released. All lyrics written by Bono and The Edge, all composed by U2. All lyrics written by Bono and The Edge, all composed by U2

42.
Sweetest Thing
–
Sweetest Thing is a song by Irish group U2. It was originally released in 1987 as a B-side on the Where the Streets Have No Name single, the song was later re-recorded and re-released, as a single in October 1998 for the U2 compilation album, The Best of 1980-1990. The song was written by Bono as an apology to his wife Ali Hewson for having to work in the studio on her birthday during The Joshua Tree sessions. At Alisons request, profits from the single went to her favoured charity, a version by New York gospel choir, The New Voices of Freedom, appears on the soundtrack to the 1988 Bill Murray film Scrooged. It was recorded following U2s performance of I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For with the choir at Madison Square Garden, to promote the release of the single in 1998, Island Records distributed Sweetest Thing chocolate bars, wrapped to look like the single, throughout Europe. They have become a valuable collectors item among U2 fans during the 2000s. The song made its debut on the opening night of the Elevation Tour. It was then not played again until the Innocence + Experience Tour, performances on the Elevation Tour featured Bono playing the piano parts while the Edge played electric guitar. On the Innocence + Experience Tour, it was played on the e-stage in a stripped version, with the Edge playing acoustic guitar. The performers featured include Riverdance, Boyzone, Steve Collins, the Artane Boys Band, the Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Jr. Norman Hewson, Dik Evans, and Ali herself appear in the video as well. The back cover listed the track simply as a live version of An Cat Dubh. Bono – lead vocals The Edge – piano, guitar, backing vocals Adam Clayton – bass guitar Larry Mullen, Jr. – drums

43.
Beautiful Day
–
Beautiful Day is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Cant Leave Behind and it was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is U2s biggest hit to date. Like many tracks from All That You Cant Leave Behind, Beautiful Day harkens back to the groups past sound. The tone of the Edges guitar was a subject of debate amongst the band members, lead singer Bono explained that the upbeat track is about losing everything but still finding joy in what one has. The song received positive reviews, and it became their fourth single in the UK. It also reached the top of the charts in Australia, Canada, Finland, their native Ireland, Italy, Norway, the song peaked at number 21 in the United States, the bands highest position since Discothèque in 1997. In 2001, the song won three Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The group has played Beautiful Day at every one of their concerts since the songs 2001 live debut on the Elevation Tour, Beautiful Day was written in several stages, originating from a composition called Always that the band created in a small room at Hanover Quay Studio. However, they were unimpressed with it, as guitarist the Edge said, As a straight rock song. After lead vocalist Bono came up with the beautiful day lyric, the Edges backing vocals for the chorus were improvised one night with co-producer Daniel Lanois, an addition he called the key to the chorus and its new lyrics. At the same time, the band was looking for a more forward-looking sound and this led to debate amongst the band when the Edge was playing the song on his Gibson Explorer guitar with a tone used in much of their early material up to their 1983 album War. Bono was particularly resistant to the tone the Edge was playing with. As he explains, It was because we were coming up with innovative music that I felt a license to use some signature guitar sounds. The Edge believes the contrast between these more electronic qualities of the track and his vocals with Lanois benefited the song. The mixing process proved difficult, lasting two weeks, several changes were made during this period, Bono added a guitar part that played the songs chord progression to double the bass, an addition that solidified everything, according to the Edge. The Edge also changed the line in the chorus and converted a keyboard idea of Bonos into a guitar part that added a sour quality to balance the tracks positivity. Lanois described the song as one of those little gifts where you think, my god. Beautiful Day is played at a tempo of 136 beats per minute in a 4/4 time signature, the song opens with a reverberating electric piano playing over a string synthesiser, introducing the chord progression of A–Bm7–D–G–D9–A

44.
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
–
Stuck in a Moment You Cant Get Out Of is the second single from U2s 2000 album, All That You Cant Leave Behind. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2002, Bono has said the song was inspired by a fictional conversation with his friend Michael Hutchence about suicide. Stuck in a Moment You Cant Get Out Of emerged while The Edge was working on a chord progression on the piano. U2s lead singer Bono wrote the song about the suicide of his close friend Michael Hutchence, the song is written in the form of an argument about suicide in which Bono tries to convince Hutchence of the acts foolishness. Bono characterized the song as a fight between friends, which he felt guilty for never having with Hutchence, as Bono said in 2005, Its a row between mates. Youre kinda trying to wake them up out of an idea, in my case its a row I didnt have while he was alive. I feel the biggest respect I could pay to him was not to write some stupid soppy song, so I wrote a tough, nasty little number. And Im sorry, but thats how it came out of me, mick Jagger and his daughter Elizabeth recorded backing vocals for the song, although these did not make the final mix. The video features a cameo in the beginning from John Madden. The main part of the shows a placekicker named Paul Hewson—Bonos real name—forced to re-live a field goal he missed that cost his team the game. The other video, directed by Kevin Godley, shows Bono being thrown out of a van several times, at the end of the video, the rest of the band helps him up. Somalian-Canadian rapper Knaan performed the live in July 2010 for iHeartRadio. Stuck in a Moment You Cant Get Out Of was released on 29 January 2001 in the UK, on 12 February 2001 in Australia, on 27 March in France, note Track 4 only available on the Australian limited edition CD. Note Track 4 only available on the Australian limited edition CD, note Released only in Japan, featuring most B-sides from both regular CD releases. Note A Canada-only release on late October 2001, also available on CD, Bono – vocals, synthesisers The Edge – vocals, guitar Adam Clayton – bass guitar Larry Mullen, Jr. Its lyrics include a reference to the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beautiful Day - this remix was released, in a shorter version, in a promotional CD along with an issue of Q magazine. Beautiful Day and New York - this was a performance on 27 October 2000 for the American TV show and these two songs were lifted from that performance. Stay - this performance from the Elevation Tour was transmitted live for the We Know Where You Live, Live, TV special, which was later released in DVD

45.
Elevation (song)
–
Elevation is the third track and third single release from U2s 2000 album, All That You Cant Leave Behind. It was also the second number one single in the Netherlands. The song lent its namesake to the bands Elevation Tour, Elevation started with a guitar sound that the Edge got with a vintage pedal that Daniel Lanois had brought to the sessions. Afterwards, the Edge hit on a part and programmed a quick beat box rhythm and the band started playing against it. The song has a hip-hop rhythm, the Edge stated that Elevation was a light relief in a heavy sequence of songs, unlike Stuck in a Moment You Cant Get Out Of, Kite and Walk On that are farewell songs of one kind of another. The song was played at all 113 concerts in Elevation Tour, shows would traditionally open under the venue house lights with the Influx Mix of Elevation playing as the bands intro music. During live shows during the Vertigo Tour, it was played without drums and bass for the first verse and it has been played at almost every U2 concert since it was debuted until the Innocence + Experience Tour where it was only played sporadically during the B-stage set. When reviewing the album, Adam Sweeting from The Guardian praised the song, calling it a mix of crude techno. New Zealand Herald editor Russell Baillie called it a grand surge noting the songs guitar and vocals which he described as churning and giddy, NME was positive toward the song for the well-exercised U2 template. Brent DiCrescenzo of Drowned in Sound gave a review of the song, labelling Bonos lyrics as. The drums in the version are also harder. The name comes from its role in the soundtrack to the movie, Lara Croft and this arrangement is how U2 have performed the song since its release. Elevation won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2002, Elevation Partners, a $1.9 billion private equity company of which Bono is a co-founder and managing director, is named after the song. In 2006, when the NFL asked teams to stop using Rock and Roll by Gary Glitter as a touchdown song, Elevation also appeared on the soundtrack to the video game NBA 2K13. The song also appeared on the HBO series The Sopranos, Elevation is played during the opening of the popular Machinima series Clear Skies. The music video for Elevation was directed by Joseph Kahn and is one of the most expensive videos ever filmed. It is set around Lara Croft along with Bono and a rescue of the Edge from his twin brother. The video begins with Bono receiving a phonecall from his evil counterpart known as evil Bono and you are surrounded and not even Lara Croft can help you now

46.
Walk On (U2 song)
–
Walk On is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the track on their 2000 album, All That You Cant Leave Behind, and was released as a single in November 2001, the records second in Canada. The song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 2002, in March 2000, U2 were awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin at a ceremony where the Burmese academic Aung San Suu Kyi was honoured but absent. The band had never heard of Suu Kyi prior to that, the group found out that her activism and fighting for freedom in Burma led to her being under house arrest since 1989. Walk On was subsequently written about and dedicated to Suu Kyi and it was written in the form of a supporting, uplifting anthem, praising her for activism. Bono explained that the song is about nobility and personal sacrifice, about doing whats right and he compares the subject of the song to a Biblical passage in Corinthians. The album version of the runs for 4,55. The albums title was derived from the lyrics, The only baggage you can bring is all that you cant leave behind. Walk On originally consisted of two different songs which, according to bassist Adam Clayton, that had great riffs but sounded terrible separately, the group combined them and ended up with the arrangement that forms Walk On. All That You Cant Leave Behind album was banned in Burma because Walk On was dedicated to Suu Kyi, anyone who attempted to import the album, All That You Cant Leave Behind, to Burma could face a prison sentence lasting between three and twenty years. When the album was released, U2, the first video for Walk On - titled International Version - was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Filming took place in November 2000 and was filmed in Rio de Janeiro during U2s two-day promotion there, some shots, including the band playing with a soccer ball on a beach and the band meeting fans, were improvised and the video was made to be documentary styled. Åkerlund stated it will always be one of his music videos. Later in February 2001, a second video - titled U. S. version - was directed by Liz Friedlander, both were featured on the compilation DVD U218 Videos. The songs uplifting nature led to it being used frequently to close concerts during the Elevation Tour. Live versions of the song were released on the concert films Elevation 2001, Live from Boston, U2 Go Home, Live from Slane Castle, during the Vertigo Tour, it appeared rarely, typically in an acoustic format. It was snippeted after Running to Stand Still on the Vertigo Tour at the dates closest to June 19, the song was a regular part of the set list for the U2 360° Tour. Prior to the tour, the band asked fans to bring masks of Suu Kyi to concerts, in June 2012, Bono performed the song live for Suu Kyi during the Electric Burma concert in Dublin in her honour

47.
Electrical Storm (song)
–
Electrical Storm is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the only single from their second compilation album, The Best of 1990–2000, and one of the two new songs recorded for that album. The music video for the song features drummer Larry Mullen. The song was written by Bono and is about two lovers who are fighting and the tension between them, it relates this to an electrical storm. Although the song did not make a big impression in the U. S. reaching only to #77 and it also peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart and made #s 13 and 26 on the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, respectively. Two official versions of the song exist – the Band Version mixed by Carl Glanville, the William Orbit Mix appeared on The Best of 1990-2000 and the Band Version was featured on the B-sides disc of the album. A third version was heard, briefly, on stations in the UK and Australia. It is believed this was a version that was leaked to radio. Though released in 2002, the song was not played live until the U2 360° Tour when it was played in the William Orbit style during the second night in Barcelona. It was subsequently played more, on 8 July 2009 in Milan, Italy and on 1 August 2009 in Gothenburg

48.
Vertigo (U2 song)
–
Vertigo is a song by Irish rock band U2. It won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song, the song lent its name to the bands Vertigo Tour. The song ranked number 64 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of the Decade, in the case of Vertigo, I was thinking about this awful nightclub weve all been to. Its that woozy, sick feeling of realizing that here we are, and in the middle of the club, theres this girl. I dont even know if shes beautiful, it doesnt matter but she has a cross around her neck, during the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb recording sessions, Vertigo was originally recorded as a song called Full Metal Jacket. Bono said during a webchat that the song was the mother of all rock n roll tunes, I dont know where it came from but its a remarkable guitar thing. You want to hear it - its a reason to make a record, the title was later changed to Native Son. The lyrics in this iteration are about a man who was against his country due to his lack of freedoms. The song went through different musical and lyrical arrangements. New lyrics were written and Lillywhite helped the band rearrange the song and it was at this point that the song was rewritten into Vertigo. At 3,08 long, Native Son is just a few seconds short of the run time of Vertigo, U2 performed Vertigo in a television commercial for the Apple iPod as part of a cross-marketing plan to promote both the album and Apples music products. At the beginning of the song, Bono counts off in Spanish Unos, dos, tres, in English, this translates to some, two, three, fourteen. When asked about this oddity in an interview for Rolling Stone, Bono replied there may have been some alcohol involved. Some sources have suggested that as the first words spoken on the album and this theory is supported by the fact the final track on the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album is titled Yahweh, another name for the Christian and Hebrew god. The count off was parodied by novelty singer Richard Cheese on his version of U2s Sunday Bloody Sunday on his 2005 album Aperitif for Destruction. A Spanish reply of ¡Hola. is also heard behind the Hello, hello of the refrain, upon release, Vertigo debuted at number 18 on Billboards Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also debuted at one on the Hot Digital Tracks chart and, after falling to number 4. The track later moved into the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and it spent 20 weeks on the chart